The Libertines Reveal Shows Canceled Due to Pete Doherty's Anxiety

On Thursday, the Libertines cancelled a show at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London, after the show's scheduled start time. (A Manchester show set for the next day was also cancelled, as well as today's set on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.)

Today, the band's representatives have issued a statement explaining the cancellations. According to the statement, they were due to an anxiety attack suffered by Pete Doherty on the day of the London show. In particular, they said the decision to cancel the Manchester show "did not come from Peter it was made by management, who felt it important to ensure Peter’s welfare is a priority in line with any other ongoing treatment." Find the full statement below.

The band performed at Lollapalooza Berlin this weekend. Their upcoming shows haven't been affected. Find the list here. The Libertines are currently touring in support of their new album, Anthems for Doomed Youth.

For the loved and trusted;

Thanks for your invaluable support and overwhelmingly positive messages after last weeks events, particularly those at the gig who had every reason to feel hurt.

Peter suffered a serious anxiety attack during the hours leading up to the scheduled performance at the Electric Ballroom last Thursday. The ideal coping mechanism in this situation is to lock yourself away from the source of the anxiety and in this case he headed to a hotel near Coventry in the early hours of Friday morning, in order that he be close to friends in his support network.

Libertines Counsellor Dylan Kerr “Anxiety is notoriously subtle and greatly prejudiced against and sometimes there are no obvious outward signs at all. It purely a psychological experience and the person must do whatever is necessary to arrest those feelings. It is a good thing that Peter is trying to live a normal life, as these are the reactions to stress that you’re taught to use in rehab – rather than shutting yourself away. Avoid the stress and resume some normality.”

Anxiety is a condition affecting many thousands of people in the country. It is often not discussed or hidden by the sufferer for fear of stigmatisation and indeed the condition makes the victim hide away which worsens the condition. However with time it can be manageable to a certain extent and there are many wonderful organisations which can provide help and advice on the subject such as MIND.

The decision to cancel the show in Manchester did not come from Peter it was made by management, who felt it important to ensure Peter’s welfare is a priority in line with any other ongoing treatment. Obviously the time away from the spotlight enabled the band to meet their existing commitment in Berlin and the Albion sails on course….

Look out for an announcement very soon regarding the rescheduled dates as The Libertines are keen to make it up to anyone who felt disappointed.